Norma Jean Olson

Norma Jean (Lancaster) Olson was born on February 10, 1931, to Ivie Fern (Osborne) Lancaster and Robert Franklin Lancaster in Murray, Utah. She lived in West Jordan on her parent’s farm until her father’s death in 1945. She was only 14 at the time and the transition was hard. They moved to a house in Midvale, and her mother started working outside the home to support the family. Norma was the second of three children. Eventually, her mother remarried. Living in a blended family was difficult as well but these were people who had lived through the great depression and World War II. They did not complain; they just went to work and dealt with their challenges.

Norma Jean married LaMar J. Olson on September 15, 1948. She was 17 years old at the time of their marriage. They were married for 73 years until his passing in 2022. Together, they had three children, Ronald, Sherrilyn and Bruce (Butch). They raised their family in West Jordan, Utah, on property that was once part of her parent’s farm. The house they lived in on 2200 West was built by their own hands. Norma Jean was the hod carrier for LaMar when they laid the brick and she was the carpenter’s assistant when they did the finish work. Over their years in West Jordan, she was much more than a construction assistant; she was the moral center and foundation of the family; by her precept and by her example, the children were taught. That home was filled with laughter and good times. Norma’s laugh was deep and infectious; she loved playful joking with her grandchildren. It was also filled with critical life lessons about work, responsibility, ethical behavior, familial love (though not a lot of hugging or mushy words), and lifetimes of wonderful memories. When the kids were grown and she had an empty nest, Norma went to work for Sorenson Research where she was a line supervisor. She worked hard there and took her work very seriously.

She was always self-conscious about her lack of education because she quit high school to marry LaMar. So, being tired of feeling badly about it, when she turned 60, she went back to school and got her GED. Similarly, with her church membership. She and LaMar had been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since their childhoods, but they had not been active in the church. When her grandchildren started getting married in the Temple, she said, “I’ve had enough of missing out on this.” She got active in the church and she stayed active for the remainder of her life. She and LaMar were sealed by proxy in the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple following his death.

When LaMar retired from Kennecott in about 1988, they moved to Heber, where they had built a modest cabin in Haven Estates in the mouth of Daniels Canyon. She was not happy with that move. She loved West Jordan; had deep family roots there; and she wanted to be closer to her family. But she had spent her life supporting her husband, putting his needs above her own and, after making her position clear, she did it again with this major decision. They lived in Heber for about 40 years and had a good life there.

Before LaMar passed away, Norma Jean had begun to show signs of dementia. Where once she could remember all her grandchildren and their birthdays, her memory, especially her short-term memory, began to fade and she could no longer remember even routine things. It was very frustrating for her. It progressively got worse, but she continued to live in her house in Heber. While her family, especially Bruce and LeAna, gave her as much support as possible, she could only stay in her home because of her good neighbors, who looked in on her every day. Her condition reached a tipping point in early 2026. After a catastrophic event, she moved in with Bruce and LeAna in West Jordan. She was there only a short time before she “escaped” on the coldest night of the year. She was found unconscious more than a mile from their home and her core body temperature was below 80 degrees. She was in the hospital and rehab for several weeks before going into a memory care facility. Even though she was given good care there, her condition developed into an exit-seeking stage, making life difficult for her and very interesting for her caregivers. Eventually, she entered hospice care. On August 21 she took a serious fall which damaged her hip and back. She was heavily medicated for the pain caused by the fall and on August 27th she passed away. She was 95 years old.

Norma Jean is survived by her three children Ronald LaMar (Christy) Olson, Sherrilyn (Blaine) Hyde, and Bruce Franklin (LeAna) Olson; 39 grandchildren, 90 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, LaMar Jesse Olson; her mother, Ivie Fern Osborne Lancaster Kellgreen Bullard; her father, Robert Franklin Lancaster; two brothers, Lynn and Vaughn Lancaster; one granddaughter and many others of her beloved extended family.

This world and our lives are worse off with her passing but heaven has gained a shining star.

There will be a viewing at the LDS church located at 8539 South 2200 West, West Jordan, Utah on September 2 from 6 to 8 pm. Another viewing will be held on September 3 at 10:00 am. Immediately following the viewing, there will be a funeral service at 11:00 am. Following the service, interment will take place at the Sandy City cemetery located at 700 E 9000 S. Following the interment, there will be a luncheon and open mic at the church where attendees will be welcome to publicly share their stories, if they wish, about Norma Jean.